Fishing the Texas Coast can be a rewarding experience any time of year. The warm waters of the Gulf and the back waters of Texas bays are teeming with varied fish species and varieties, making fishing adventures large and small a real delight for lovers of the coastal outdoors.

Regardless whether you're in for a serious Gulf or bay charter, or simply want to rent a bay boat in order to reach those special fishing spots in beautiful bays (like the Laguna Madre on the southern tip of Texas), Texas offers some of the finest coastal fishing in the world.

For those who prefer fishing on a budget, you don't need a charter or a boat thanks to an abundant number of public and private fishing piers along the Texas coast. From Orange to South Padre Island, fishing is still a way of life for resident locals, and it's rather simple to fit in to the local fishing scene provided you're willing to speak and talk fish at the local hang-outs, like bait stands and main street cafes.

King Mackerel - The king mackerel is a slender, streamlined fish, slightly flattened from side to side with a tapered head. Its color ranges from an iridescent bluish green on its back to its silvery sides. Two dorsal fins can fold back in to a groove to enhance speed, short pectoral fins on each side just behind the head; pelvic fins below the pectorals and a row of small finlets extend from the dorsal and anal fins to the tail. The lateral line starts near the top of each gill drops sharply below the second dorsal fin and ends near the tail. The mackerels are true members of the tuna family and are Western Atlantic species. Although the Kings don’t have the endurance of the tuna, they are unmatched for their speed and agility.

Description: color cobalt blue on top shading to silvery white on bottom; upper jaw elongated in form of spear; dorsal fin pointed at front end; pectoral fin and anal fin pointed; lateral line reticulated (interwoven like a net), difficult to see in large specimens; no dark spots on dorsal fin; body covered with embedded scales ending in one or two sharp points. Similar Fish: white marlin, Tetrapterus albidus (white has rounded tip of pectoral and anal fins, and spots on the dorsal fin). Where found: OFFSHORE, a blue water fish.

Swordfish, along with marlin, spearfish, and sailfish, are collectively referred to as billfish. Swordfish are the only species in an unusual family called Xiphiidae. This name refers to the sword-like projection of the upper jaw. Swordfish were first described by Aristotle, who used the Greek word xiphias, meaning "sword." The Romans used the term gladius, which also meant "sword." The scientific name, Xiphias gladius, is a combination of both names. The swordfish is shaped like an oversized mackerel, with the body thickest in the shoulder area, tapering to a tail, which is reinforced by a keel on either side. Swordfish vary in color from deep brown to black on the back and upper surface of the body to almost white on the side and lower body.

Snappers are a very large, widely distributed group; most live in the tropics or subtropics. Like other reef species, snappers grow slowly and live for many years, some growing quite large. Red snapper grow to three feet and 35 pounds.

Pompano The Pompano is a feisty fish that puts up a good fight on light tackle. The Pompano belongs to the same family as the Permit, its body is not as high but it is still oval and compressed. It has a short snout with a small and oblique mouth and tiny teeth. The first dorsal is composed of six short spiny rays. The second dorsal fin is almost an inverted mirror image in size and shape to the anal fin. The caudal fin is notched with long pointed lobes. Color is gray – green on the back and slivery on the sides. There are usually 3 – 5 vertical dark green spots along the front and top of the lateral line. The tips of the dorsal, anal and caudal fins are black.

The Pompano is fine eating and a hard fighting fish. It is judged by many to be the worlds most exciting light tackle gamefish. It enters very shallow water and can be taken from beaches, piers, jetties, bridges and boats.

The tarpon is a large thick-bodied fish generally silver in color other than its back, which can range from a dark green to gray. It has a large scoop shaped mouth and the last ray of its dorsal fin is greatly elongated. Its scales are large and thick like a coat of armor. The Tarpon is a large, hard fighting fish and is judged by many to be the worlds most exciting gamefish. Once it feels the hook being set it begins the spectacular display of frequent, twisting, acrobatic leaps into the air to free itself from the hook. Most Tarpon landed are between 25 to 80 pounds on average but can range from a few inches in length to about 300 pounds.

Bull-Nose Dolphin - The Dolphin, also known as Mahi Mahi or Dorado, is one of the most exciting offshore gamefish to catch and see in the open ocean. This beautifully colored fish can be found in all tropical and warm temperate seas of the world. When hooked these fish "light up" with almost neon colors and put up an exciting, high jumping, tail walking fight.

Dolphin are prolific breeders, rapid growing and short lived which make them an excellent choice as a gamefish because they can sustain recreational catch efforts without fear of overfishing. A dolphin can grow to a weight of about 80 pounds and live only about five years. The dolphin’s coloring can range from a dark blue along its back and changes laterally through a green – gold – yellow color spectrum as look from their back to their belly. Mature males or bulls are easily distinguished by their high flat forehead and are usually larger than the females or cows. Smaller fish travel in schools (schoolies) which can range from a few fish to several dozen.

Snook - The Snook is a large, Pike-like fish with a protruding lower jaw and a prominent black lateral stripe that runs from just behind the gills to the tail. The Snook is overall a silvery-green color with fins that are sometimes bright yellow. The Snook is a sleek and extremely strong fish. They range in size up to 48" and 50 pounds. The largest Snook ever caught in Florida USA weighed about 44 lbs. 11 ounces. Snook are found in the Western Atlantic from South Carolina USA to Brazil, South America. Snook are tolerant over a wide range of water salinity from freshwater to offshore saltwater. They are however, extremely sensitive to temperature changes, particularly cold weather.

Trout - The Spotted Seatrout is one of the most popular gamefish of Florida and ranges from New York through the Gulf of Mexico. It is a sturdy fish with an elongated, streamlined body. The mouth is large with a larger lower jaw and an upper jaw with two prominent canine teeth. The dorsal fin is divided by a deep notch. The Spotted Seatrout is silvery in color with olive green tints on the back. It has a lateral line which runs from just behind the gills to the tail, above which are numerous black spots which extend onto the second half of the dorsal fin. The fish prefers water temperatures in the 65 to 75 degree F. range. They can be found in just about any inshore or near shore waters.

Sheepshead - The sheepshead is a member of the porgy and seabream species which are among the 120 species that make up the Sparidae family. The Sparidae have a worldwide distribution in temperate and tropical waters, but are most common in warm coastal seas.

The sheepshead is a large porgy. It reaches a maximum weight of about 20 pounds. It’s coloration is silvery to yellowish white, with an olive-brown back and five or six dark slightly diagonal bars along each side. It is found close inshore, often in the brackish zones of estuaries. It uses it’s flat long teeth to crush mollusks and crabs and to scrap barnacles from rocks and pilings.

Drum - The widely distributed Drum family contains over 200 tropical and warm-temperature saltwater marine species, including Drum, Croaker, Seatrout, Seabass, and Weakfish. The range of the Red Drum is from Massachusetts USA south to Northern Mexico in the Atlantic Ocean and Gulf of Mexico. The Red Drum, also known as the Redfish or Channel Bass, has a reddish overall coloration and one or more dark spots at the base of the tail. It feeds at the bottom on crustaceans and mollusks. It also takes small fish, especially mullet. The usual adult weight is under 40 pounds but can reach into the 90 pound range.